Dead Rising 3 is the hardest entry to the series to date, developer Capcom Vancouver has claimed. However, it’s only the hardest one yet if you choose to play it that way.

Speaking with OXM at gamescom, producer Mike Jones said, “It’s probably the most difficult Dead Rising game we’ve ever made. We wanted to sort of have our cake and eat it, serve both kinds of gamers.

“I’m the kind of gamer who just wants to be chilled, who doesn’t want to be on a timer or a schedule, but a lot of Dead Rising fans love that timer, and love that save system, and they love breaking controllers, I guess – throwing them against the wall. So if you’re a masochist, we’re not going to ruin it for you.”

Gamers won’t be funnelled through Dead Rising 3’s plot or time mechanic unless they choose to tackle Nightmare Mode. Otherwise the game gives players the option to just run riot in the city streets without pressure. One Capcom rep told the site, “You can take it seriously, as a zombie survival outbreak simulator, or you can do this nonsense. We’re laying down a canvas, and we’re letting you paint up that canvas and make the game how you want to make it.”